The 'anniversary effect': why we relive trauma on significant dates

Feeling out of sorts when emotions resurface from distressing events is known as the ‘anniversary effect’, writes Geraldine Walsh

Pic: iStock

Time, they say heals all wounds, but the rawness and emotional pull of a traumatic event can linger and heighten on the anniversary of a distressing and upsetting life experience, pulling a person back into those moments of distress. 

Known as the “anniversary effect” a person can feel unduly restless, unsure as to why they are feeling low, out of sorts, and even physically ill, when the anniversary of a traumatic experience, a loss, or a life-changing event occurs.